As mentioned last week, Sunset Beach Club attended a charity lunch last Sunday and took part in a contest to see who made the best “pincho and tapa”. Unfortunately, it wasn’t to be this time but it was a great experience for the team and feedback from guests who attended the event was very positive!
The most important thing is that the event managed to raise much needed funds for the charity! Well done to all the team that took part!
"Passport" for the event
For the 2nd Year running, the Town of Fuengirola has organised a slightly different and, should we say, risqué event: An Erotic Tapas Route! It was a great success last year so they decided to repeat and so far feedback has been great.
So what’s it all about? Well, the idea is to promote bars and restaurants in Fuengirola by adding a little fun to the traditional tapas experience. All participating establishments prepare an “erotic” tapa of their choice which customers can order as they make their way around Fuengirola on the tapas route. It’s incredible to see the imagination that goes in to some of these creations! The video below, although in Spanish, will give you an idea of what to expect as you visit the bars and restaurants taking place in the event.
If you are interested in participating, all you have to do is collect a “Passport” (see photo) which includes a map and all participating establishments. The aim is to get the passport stamped in at least 10 different establishments; once completed, you can write down your favourite tapa and then hand in the passport at the Fuengirola Tourist Office. Make sure you do this because everyone who hands in their passport gets a surprise gift (while stocks last) and also gets to enter into a fantastic prize draw. Prizes include the following: Cruises, LCD TV’s, Cameras, Hotel Stays, Lunch & Dinner vouchers and lots more!
Make sure you take a drive down to Fuengirola and take part in this fun event; you’ve got until Sunday the 21st November! Oh, I almost forgot, it’s only €1.50 for a tapa and a drink!
Apple Cannelloni on a Mint Jelly....
Next Sunday the 14th November, Benalmadena Solidaria will hold its 1st Gastronomic Event at the Finca de Los Caballeros (The old “Club Hípico”). This charity lunch includes tasting of a selection of “pinchos & tapas” (these dishes enter a competition), a traditional cabbage dish will all the “trimmings”, and a dessert (you can see a photo of Sunset’s dish in the photo).
Apparently all 300 tickets that were made available for the event have been sold already! The proceeds will be used to feed families in need in the Benalmádena municipality.
Our team of chefs has prepared an interesting pincho for the event…….
“Boquerones filled with traditional porra (traditional dish made with red peppers, garlic, bread, tomato, olive oil, vinegar and anchovies) and served with a shot of ajo blanco (Cold soup made with almonds, garlic)”
Next week I’ll post photos of all the dishes; lets hope that they will be photos of the winning dishes!
The prizes for the establishments that prepare the best tapas are the following: 1st prize of €1000; 2nd prize of €500 and 3rd prize of €300. All entries will be judged on presentation, taste, creativity, quantity, value for money and the recipe description.
Kneller Golf Society - all the way from Twickenham
We’re pleased to welcome the Kneller Golf Society to Sunset Beach Club. This is the second year in a row that they choose Sunset Beach Club for their yearly golf society trip!
In the photo above you can see the guys with Annemie (from our Golf Desk) just after a great round of golf at Torrequebrada. I think they were on their way to the Panorama Bar to catch Happy Hour!
The group booked all their accommodation and golf tee times through our Golf Desk Service; Annemie even arranged all their transfers from the airport and to all the golf courses they are playing at during their stay.
The guys have had a busy week of golf and there is more to come…..they have played the following courses: Lauro Golf, El Chaparral, Torrequebrada and Alhaurin. Tomorrow they play Miraflores and on Friday they will be playing at our sister resort of La Cala; all in all, a great week of golf!
For more information about golf holidays and accommodation, please contact Annemie or Susana at our Golf & Leisure Desk – tel. +34 952 579 400 (ext 3053)
This could be you.......Ice Skating in Benalmadena!
The Costa del Sol is usually regarded as a haven for sun, sea and sand holidays. Benalmadena in particular is well known for its beaches, restaurants, Marina and bustling night life; in the summer time, holiday makers flock to this sea side town for fun packed holidays.
But what about the quieter winter months? Well, the beach is still an option, although the sea might be a little cold for taking a dip! What many people don’t realise is that Benalmadena has much more to offer visitors than beaches and night life. The latest edition to the list of “alternative” activities is….wait for it…..an Ice Rink!
Yes, you read that right; the Costa del Sol has its very own Ice rink which is open from October until May, (Don’t suppose there’s too much demand for ice skating in the summer!) Apparently, the Benalmadena ice rink is the only one of its kind in Andalucia; with a surface area of 900 square metres and located within a 7000 square metre sports complex, it registered a total of 12.500 visits last year. (more…)
Our New Head Chef - Paul Tugwell
We’re excited to announce the appointment of a New Head Chef at Sunset Beach Club, Paul Tugwell. Originally from Cardiff, Paul has been involved in the hotel and catering business for many years and will undoubtedly bring a wealth of experience to the team here at Sunset.
I had a chance to catch up with Paul earlier on in the week to find out a little bit more about him and what his plans are for Sunset’s kitchens; here’s a summary of what I found out:
Paul started his career by studying at the Barry Island Hotel School. After two years of intense training he headed off to London where he began work as a Commis Chef at the famous Savoy Hotel; it didn’t take long for Paul to establish himself as an integral part of the team, allowing him to work his way up to the position of Sous Chef in the 5 years he spent at the Savoy.
After an intense 5 years in London, it was time to move on and Paul spent the next 9 years in Bath; first at the Royal Crescent hotel and later at Combe Grove Manor. His time in Bath allowed Paul to learn, explore and apply new cooking techniques (this was at a time when Nouvelle Cuisine was revolutionising the industry).
In the mid 1980’s, family commitments – Paul’s wife is Spanish – meant it was time to move to Spain. The Costa del Sol was his chosen destination and has been his home ever since.
Since arriving on the Coast Paul has worked as Head Chef in several well known restaurants; however, one of his most challenging positions was when he was asked to become Head Chef and Lecturer at the Les Roches Hotel School in Marbella. For over 5 years he was responsible for training future hotel managers and chefs at this highly respected hotel school (I’ll tell you a secret……. he even trained our Operations Director, Miguel Marcos!).
For the past 5 years, Paul has been Head Chef at the boutique hotel, La Posada del Torcal, located in the mountains behind Málaga.
Now it’s time for a new challenge here at Sunset Beach Club! Wasting no time at all, Paul is already busy with several projects: The daily menus for half board guests are just about ready (I’ll be sure to post about them as soon as they are!) and the team are busy preparing two special dishes for a charity event and cooking contest next weekend; I’ve seen the dessert they have prepared at it looks fantastic!
The next objective is a completely new dessert menu…..ñuuuummm! I’ll definitely have to report back to you about those,; pictures and all!
Something to look forward to next summer is the plan to include a BBQ buffet in the evenings by the main pools. This will be a welcomed addition to the hotels dining facilities and will no doubt prove to be a hit.
Welcome to the team Paul! I look forward to tasting some one of those new desserts!
Next Tuesday the 9th November sees the start of the 24th edition of the Málaga Jazz Festival. This year’s venues will be the traditional Cervantes Theatre and the Echegaray Theatre (included this year as second venue to the festival).
Málaga awaits some great Jazz musicians, amongst them, the Cadiz pianist, Chano Domínguez, who will take to the stage of the Cervantes Theatre on Wednesday the 6th November.
The rest of the weeks line up is equally as impressive:
Teatro Cervantes
Wednesday 10th November: Chano Domínguez
Friday 12th November: The Bad Plus
Saturday 13th November: Dayna Kurtz
Teatro Echegaray
Tuesday 9th November: Doris Cales Quartet
Wednesday 10th November: Ana Cisneros Trío
Thursday 11th November: La Insostenible Big Band
Friday 12th November: Seamus Blake Quintet
Saturday 13th November: Sacri Delfino Trío
Los organizadores del festival también han preparado varias actividades paralelas para este año: El Seminario Internacional de Jazz, una Masterclass con la Seamus Blake Quintet y los pasacalles que estarán todos los días (de 1 a 2 de la tarde) por el centro de la ciudad; todas actividades diseñadas para acercar el Jazz a la gente.
The organisers of the Festival have also prepared several paralel activities for this year: The Internacional Jazz Seminar, a Masterclass with the Seamus and the street performers who will be walking the streets of the city centre from 1pm to 2pm every day. All the above activities have been designed to bring Jazz to the people by creating interaction.
Photo Credit: Infrogmation
Wine lovers on the Costa del Sol are in for a treat this weekend as Torremolinos hosts the 11th Annual Wine Fair (from the 6th to the 8th November).
This event is the ideal platform for professionals and wine lovers to meet and talk about their passion. Visitors to the fair will also be able to enjoy an educational day out with the fair offering various learning spaces with presentations and wine tasting sessions conducted by well known professionals from the wine industry.
I’d like to highlight the following activities:
1) Various conferences covering the subject of Mediterranean Food
2) Wine Tasting Sessions; aimed at visitors who are keen to learn about the “ins and outs” of the wine industry, so important to Spanish and Mediterranean Culture.
3) Cocktail exhibition and tasting session with Andalucian wines. The Association of Spanish Barmen (ABE) will be preparing 5 different cocktails created with 5 different wines; visitors will have the chance to taste their wonderful creations!
4) Various competitions, including, the prize to the Best Young Sommelier of Andalucia
During the fair, there will be a daily prize draw for a weekend break for 2 people in a traditional Andalucian holiday destination. This fantastic prize includes 2 nights of accommodation including breakfast and an activity related to wine tourism in the area.
Anyone interested in attending can do so for just 3 Euros, payable at the entrance of the event at the Palacio de Congresos y Exhibiciones of the Costa del Sol.
Photo Credit: thebusybrain
Any of you who were at Sunset Beach Club during the summer will have had the opportunity to win a fantastic weeks holiday next summer.
We had an box in reception where you could leave your details and enter into the prize draw. As expected, we had a great response for the draw with hundreds of guests entering.
Well, we have just had the prize draw and I’m happy to announce that the lucky winner is:
Charmaine Robinson
Charmaine and her family stayed with us at the end of August and will no doubt be looking forward to their weeks holiday next year, courtesy of Sunset Beach Club! Well done!
Stay tuned for our next prize draw or competition! If you become a Fan of our Facebook Page you’ll get all the latest news about the hotel.
Here’s a few photos of the halloween decorations in our Panorama Bar and the Kids Club. Our animation team have been working hard since yesterday to get all the decorations up in time for this evening!
At 8:30 pm, all kids who want to join in the Halloween spirit will be meeting up in the Kids Club for Face Painting! After that, its time for “Trick or Treat”! Together with the animation team, the kids will be making their way around the hotel, knocking on doors and asking the famous question; Trick or Treat? If you are staying at the hotel, I recommend you stock up on sweets; you have been warned! 😉
Hopefully tomorrow we’ll have some great photos of the evening and will be posting them here!
Happy Halloween!
Decorations in the Panorama Bar
Decorations in the Panorama
The Haunted Kids Club
Pumpkins galore in the Kids Club
